The Bill White Era has officially begun in Houston. He's got an awful lot on his plate, as you can see from his to-do list. Given the magnitude of his victory, the broad base of his support, and the current City Council lineup, he ought to have a decent honeymoon period, and if he knocks a couple of items off his list quickly, or at least makes good progress on them, he should be in for a good year even if the budget situation looks dire. I don't know how ugly things might get if he stumbles, and frankly I'd just as soon not find out. I feel pretty confident that I won't.

Tim Fleck posited that one possible bump in the road is White's relationship with new City Controller Annise Parker. Personally, I think that if it's true that both White and Paker also have an eye on their next job - Mayor for Parker and some statewide office for White - then they're both best served by working together and getting things done. If at the start of 2009, Bill White is set to leave office as beloved as Bob Lanier was, you'd think Parker would want his full endorsement as someone who helped make it all work. If White instead turns out to have the Lee Brown touch, there'll be plenty of time for Parker to become his archnemesis.